Valparaiso women's basketball head coach Tracey Dorow announced today that sisters Elizabeth Hamlet and Annemarie Hamlet, as well as Haylee Thompson, have transferred into the Crusader basketball program.  Elizabeth Hamlet will be a fifth-year senior in 2013-14 with immediate eligibility, while Annemarie Hamlet and Thompson will both have to sit out the 2013-14 season and will each have three years of eligibility remaining.  In addition, Faith Miller has joined the Crusader program as an incoming freshman for the 2013-14 campaign.

Elizabeth Hamlet, a 5'11" guard out of McBain, Mich., earned a starting spot in her redshirt junior season at Oakland in 2012-13, starting 25 of the Grizzlies' 29 games and averaging 6.4 points per game.  Hamlet led the team in field goal percentage (42.6%) and finished second on the squad in free throw percentage (78.5%) and steals (33).  She scored a career and team-best 14 points against eventual national champions UConn, and finished her three years at Oakland with 422 points.  She will have one season of eligibility left for the 2013-14 campaign.

“We’re really excited that Elizabeth chose to come to Valpo,” said Dorow.  “She is a very experienced player at this level – a key contributor to a proven winning program over the last few years – and she knows what it takes to win.  She will not be outworked, and we expect that she will help set the tone for this year’s team.  Elizabeth is a very versatile player and is going to find a way to contribute immediately.”

Annemarie Hamlet, a 5'6" guard out of McBain, Mich., appeared in all 29 games at Oakland as a freshman in 2012-13, averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.  She finished second on the team with 37 made 3-pointers, connecting at a 33.6% clip from beyond the 3-point line.  A two-time All-State selection in high school, Hamlet helped McBain to three district and regional finals and a state title game appearance in 2009.  She closed her prep career tied with Elizabeth as McBain's all-time scoring leader with 1,624 career points.  She will have to sit out the 2013-14 season, retaining three years of eligibility.

“Annemarie is a fierce competitor who showed her ability to score the basketball as a freshman,” said Dorow.  “We would love for her to be able to play this season, but it should be very beneficial for both her and the program to have her practice this year and learn the Valpo system to make us a much better team for the next three years.  We see her as a combo guard – she can handle the basketball, but can score as well.  It will be hard to keep Annemarie off the floor once she’s eligible, and like her sister, she is a tireless worker who will raise our team’s level of intensity on the court.”

Thompson, a 6'1" forward from Hailey, Idaho, saw action in 31 games at Utah State as a freshman in 2012-2013, averaging 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, primarily off the bench.  Thompson ranked second on the team with a 48.4% field goal percentage, helping the Aggies earn a postseason berth.  She helped Wood River H.S. to a pair of district championships during her prep career, including a second-place finish at states as a junior.  Thompson, who was named league player of the year as a senior, closed her prep career fourth in school history in scoring.  She will have to sit out the 2013-14 season, retaining three years of eligibility.

“Haylee comes in as a perfect fit for our system,” said Dorow.  “She has a really good touch around the basket and is a very smart player.  Haylee has a very high ceiling for improvement and we feel she will really develop this season working with our staff.  She has the ability to be a very good Horizon League player.”

Miller, a 5’7” point guard from Huber Heights, Ohio, comes to Valpo from Wayne H.S., where she was a two-time Second Team GWOC All-Central Division honoree for the Lady Warriors.  She averaged 9.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game as a senior after tallying 13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest during her junior season.  Miller helped Wayne to the sectional final as a sophomore in 2011.

“I became aware of Faith through a former player of mine at Ferris State, and we’re excited to welcome her to our program,” said Dorow.  “She is a very quick, feisty athlete who comes from a very high level of high school play.  Faith has a lot of raw talent, and our staff looks forward to working with her on developing her skill set to help her improve as a player.”

The quartet joins incoming freshman Aliyah Isaac and junior college transfer Sharon Karungi as newcomers on next season's Crusader roster.